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CHARTER 
Constitution and By-Laws 



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OF THE 



Madison County Historical 
Society* 



INCORPORATED MARCH 29, 1900. 
Oneida, N. Y., September, 1900. 



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ONEIDA, N.Y.: 

liAKKK & MAXON, PHINTKIO 

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INTRODUCTION. 

The Madison County Historical Society is the 
result of the necessity that has been felt with con- 
siderable force the past few years. 

Although the county has not reached its cen- 
tenia], (incorporated in 1800,) and Oneida is one 
of its youngest villages, (incorporated in 1846,) 
the early events in the history of the county, and 
many in the history of the village, no longer 
exist in the memory of the living; the actors have 
passed away, written accounts have disappeared, 
valuable material has been destroyed. 

Not only the history of the pioneers of the 
county and their achievements needed preserva- 
tion, but the part taken in the civil war by citi- 
zens and organizations of the county, and of the 
various villages of the county, deserved a place 
in local history where they could be given larger 
space and more extended notice than in the Nat- 
ional, State, Military or regimental histories. 

It was seen that unless some association was 
formed for the purpose of gathering and caring 
for them, many historically valuable facts and 
relics and much interesting material would be 
forever lost. 

Several attempts were made by a few citizens 
of Oneida during the last few years to provide 
for this necessity, by calling meetings for the 
purpose of organizing a Historical Society. The 
meetings were so poorly attended that the efforts 
of the promoters ended only in regrets. 



Mr. DeWitt C. Had cock succeeded in awaken- 
ing intei-est in local history by various letters, 
and articles published in the New Yoi'k, Utica 
and Oneida newspapers, and finally called a meet- 
ing to be held at Oneida, April 20, 1898, for the 
purpose of taking the proper steps for incorporat- 
ing such a society. He invited Gen. Charles W. 
Darling, Secretary of the Oneida County Histori- 
cal Society, to deliver an address. At the close 
of the meeting many of the persons whose names 
appear as members of this society signed their 
names as incorporators. 

Meetings were regularly held and a charter was 
finally obtained from the Regents of the Univer- 
sity of the State of New York. 

The objects of the society are fully set forth in 
the constitution. It is hoped it will meet with 
the hearty support of the citizens of the county, 
and fulfill the designs and wishes of its founders. 



MADISON COUNTY 



f UNIVERSITY OF | 

1 THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 1 

% %S^ 1^* t^* • 

$ ? 

I PROVISIONAL I 

I CHARTER OF | 

TKIlbercas, a petition for incorporation by the Univ^ersity has been | 

I duly received containing satisfactory statements under oatli as to X 

I the objects, plans, property and provision for maintenance of the I 

proposed corporation I 

i Uberefore, being satisfied that all requirements prescribed by law f 

I or University ordinance for such an association have been fully met I 

and that public interests justify such action, the Regents by virtue | 

z of the authority conferred on them by law hereby incorporate pro- j 

t visionally "i 

I THEODORE COLES, | 

I SAMUEL A. MAXON, EDWIN J. BROWN, | 

I THEODORE F. HAND, HIRAM L. ROCKWELL, | 

j DANIEL KEATING, WILLIAM H. FARNHAM. j 

1 And their successors in office under the corporate name of £ 

I MADISON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. | 

^ This corporation shall be located at Oneida, Madison Co., N. Y. * 

I Its first trustees shall be the seven above named incorporators. I 

t Its object shall be to collect and preserve materials pertaining to j 

I the natural history, archeology, history, art and industries within | 

Madison County and publish information connected therewith. | 

t If within five years satisfactory evidence is submitted that all re- X 

Iquirements of law or Univeisity ordinances as then in force are I 

tuUv met, the Regents will make this charter absolute, but other- | 

S wise after July 1, 1905, on notice from the Regents to this effect, it X 

I shall terminate and become void and shall be surrendered to the I 

Regents. I 

f lln Tiraitncss "CClbcrcof, the Regents grant this charter No. 134.5 under | 

I seal of the University, at the capitol in Albany, March 29, 19()0. I 

X ANSON JUDD UPSON. Chancellor. * 

I .7. R. PARSONS, Jr., Secretary. I 

J Re-orded and took effect 3:30 p. m., March 29, 1900. j 

Lm— M— M-^M^H^— M^— m— M^— H.^— «.^— M— H.^«-J 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

OFFICERS. 



President, Theodore Coles, Oneida, N. Y. 
Vice-Presidents, 
DeWitt C. Hadcock, Oneida, N. Y., 

H. H. Douglass, Oneida, N. Y., 

LeGrand Colton, Canastota, N. Y. 

Rec. Secretary, S. A. Maxon, Oneida, N. Y. 

Cor. Secretary, Edwin J, Brown, Oneida, N. Y. 

Treasurer, T. F. Hand. 

Librarian, A. B. French. 

J* 
COUNCILORS. 
C. Whitford, Town of Brookfield. 

William Watkins, Town of Cazenovia. 
B. S. Bryant, Town of DeRuyter. 

Hon. John E. Smith, Town of Eaton. 
Hon. F. a. Hyatt, Town of Fenner. 

A. A. Stoddard, Town of Georgetown. 
J. S. Kimberly, Town of Hamilton. 

M. E. Barlow, Town of Lenox. 
A. W. Palmer, Town of Lincoln. 

Isaiah Head, Town of Lebanon. 
Hon. S. R. Mott, Town of Madison. 

M. D. Lyon, Town of Nelson. 
Dr. H. W. Carpenter, Town of Oneida. 

Hon. Gerrit S. Miller, Town of Smithfield. 
Edwin C. Skaden, Tow^n of Stockbridge. 
E. H. Taylor, Town of Sullivan. 



MADISON COUNTY 

CHARTER MEMBERS, 



C. Whitford 
LeGrand Colton - 
M. Eugene Barlow 
Wm. Watkins 

B. S. Bryant 
Walter Morse 
John E. Smith 
F. A. Hyatt 

A. A. Stoddard 
J. S. Kimberly 
Isaiah Head 
A. W. Palmer - 

C. W. Dexter 
S. R. Mott 
M. D. Lyon 
Theodore Coles - 
Frances Messinger Coles 
E. Fredrica Goodrich - 
W. H. Farnham 
Hiram L. Rockwell 
Samuel A. Maxon - 
Sylvia Stringer Maxon 
Kate Stewart Warr 

W. W. Warr 
Theodore F. Hand 
John E. Stone 
Fred Hodges - 
Alice N, Warner Hodges 
Kate A. Barstow Brown 
Edwin J. Brown 
Jeannie D. Saunders 
Mrs. M. C. Treat 



Brookfield, N. Y. 
Canastota, N. Y. 

Cazenovia, N. Y. 

DeRuyter, N. Y. 

Eaton, N. Y. 



Fenner, 

Georgetown, 

Hamilton, 

Lebanon. 

Lincoln, 

Munnsville, 

Madison, 

Nelson, 

Oneida, 



N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 
N. Y. 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



A. B. French 

H. W. Carpenter, M. D. 

Emma L. Carpenter 

Mary Dyer Jackson 

Theodore Carter 

Mrs. Flora Kilbourne Carter 

Daniel Keating 

Sands H. Goodwin 

Anna Backus Goodwin - 

Mrs. Niles Higinbotham 

Louise Higinbotham 

Lily Higinbotham 

Samuel Jessup, D. D. 

C. Will Chappell 

W. M. Baker 

E. Leland Hunt 
Wilfred A. Leete 

F. S. Hammond 

George LeRoy Menzie, M. D, 
Ambrose E. Sawyer 
Mrs Alice Decker Sawyer 
Joseph Beal 
Edward B. French 
Wm. K. Jerray - 
Gerrit Smith Miller 
DeWitt C. Had cock - 

E. H. Taylor 

J. Emerson Quackenbush 
Edwin C. Skaden 

F. C. Dindonne 
Wm. R. Maxon - 
Lyman J. Gage 



Oneida, N. Y. 



Peterboro, N. Y. 

Stockbridge, N. Y. 

Sum van, N. Y. 



Washington, D. C. 



b MADISON COUNTY 

CONSTITUTION. 

ARTICLE I. 

This Society shall be called "The Madison 
County Historical Society." 

ARTICLE II. 

The principal office of the Society shall be lo- 
cated at Oneida, in said county. 

ARTICLE III. 

The object of the Society shall be the discovery, 
collection, preservation and publication of the his- 
tory, historical records and data of and relating to 
that part of the State of New York known as 
Madison County, and originally occupied, or 
claimed by the Oneida tribe of the Iroquois ; the 
collection and preservation of books, newspapers, 
pamphlets, maps, genealogies, portraits, paintings, 
relics, manuscripts, letters, journals, surveys, 
field-books and any and all other materials which 
may establish, or illustrate such history, or the 
growth and progress of population, wealth, edu- 
cation, arts, agriculture, manufacture and com- 
merce in Central New York. 

ARTICLE IV. 

The Society shall consists of resident, corre- 
sponding, honorary and life members. The names 
of all candidates shall be referred to the Commit- 
tee on Membership, and action shall not be taken 
until a subsequent meeting, when, upon a report 
from that Committee, a majority of votes shall be 
required for election. 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



ARTICLE V. 



Resident members shall pay on admission an 
initiation fee of one dollar, which shall be full 
payment of initiation and annual dues for the fii'st 
year, ending the third Wednesday in January 
following, and thereafter an annual fee of one 
dollar. Any member in arrears for annual dues 
on the third Wednesday in January, in each 
year, and who shall have received notice thereof 
from the Treasurer, as early as the preceding first 
day of October shall no longer be considered a 
member of the Society. 

ARTICLE VI. 

The officers of the Society shall consist of a 
President, three Vice-Presidents, a Recording 
Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer 
and a Librarian, who shall be elected annually, on 
the third Wednesday in Janug-ry, in each year, by 
a majority of ballots. 

There shall be an Executive Committee, 
which shall consist of the President, the Record- 
ing Secretary, the Corresponding Secretary and 
the Treasurer, (who shall be members of said 
Committee by virtue of their offices), and three 
members to be elected annually, by ballot, at the 
annual meeting in January, from among the 
members of the Society residing in Oneida. 

The said Executive Committee shall con- 
stitute a Board of Managers of the Society, exer- 
cising the duties and discharging the responsibili- 
ties which belong to boards of trustees in gen- 
eral. 

Five members of the Board of Managers 
shall constitute a quorum at any regularly called 
meeting. 



10 MADISON COUNTY 

ARTICLE VII. 

There shall be a Board of sixteen Councilors, 
one residing in each town in Madison County, 
who shall hold office for one year. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

None but resident, or life, members shall be 
eligible to office, or qualified to vote. 

ARTICLE IX. 

Life Membership. The payment of twenty -five 
dollars, at one time, shall constitute a life mem- 
ber, exempt from the payment of annual dues. 
The proceeds of all life membership dues and all 
donations, unless otherwise designated by the 
donors, shall be held and safely invested under 
the advice and consent of the Committee of 
Finance, by the Treasurer, as a permanent fund, 
the income of which shall be available for the 
payment of the necessary current expenses for the 
maintenance and care of the building occupied by 
the Society. 

ARTICLE X. 

The President shall preside at all meetings of 
the Society, regulate its proceedings, and have a 
casting vote. He shall be chairman of the Board 
of Managers. Either of the Vice-Presidents may 
discharge the duties of the President in his absence, 
except no Vice-President can act as a member of 
the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE XL 

The Recording Secretary shall have the custody 
of the constitution, by-laws and records of the 
Society. He shall give due notice of all regular 
and special meetings, and keep a record of the 
proceedings of the same. At least two days' no- 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 11 

tice shall be given of all special meetings. He 
shall be Secretary of the Board of Managers and 
keep a record of its proceedings. 

ARTICLE XII. 

The Corresponding Secretary shall have custody 
of all letters and communications on the business 
of the Society and shall submit to the Society all 
communications received by him as such Secre- 
tary. He shall, under the direction of the Soci- 
ety, prepare all communications to be addressed 
to others in the name of the Society and keep 
true copies of such as may be important. 

ARTICLE XTII. 
The Treasurer shall receive and keep all securi- 
ties and moneys due and payable, or belonging to 
the Society. He shall keep the funds of the Soci- 
ety on deposit to his credit, as such Treasurer, in 
some institution to be approved by the Board of 
Managers, and shall pay such sums as the Society 
shall direct, upon the written order, or warrant of 
the President, or in case of his absence, or disabil- 
ity, one of the Vice-Presidents. He shall keep a 
true account of his receipts and disbursements 
and render a statement thereof at the annual 
meeting of the Society, or whenever called upon 
to do so by the Society, or the Board of Managers. 
He may also be required to give such bonds as the 
Board of Managers may direct. 

ARTICLE XIV. 
The Librarian shall, also under the direction of 
the Board of Managers, have the custody of the 
Library and Cabinet, including all manuscript, 
documents, coins, relics, pictures and maps, and 
shall prepare and continue a catalogue of the 
same. He shall arrange the collection of the So- 



12 MADISON COUNTY 

ciety in a manner suitable for convenient refer- 
ence and inspection. 

He shall keep a record of all donations to 
the society and make a report of the same at 
each regular meeting, and shall prepare and read 
at each annual meeting a statement of the growth 
and condition of the Library and collections of 
the Society. 

ARTICLE XV. 

It shall be the duty of the Board of Managers 
to discharge towards the society the duties which 
ordinarily belong to boards of managers of corpo- 
rations, subject only to the restrictions of this 
constitution. It shall exercise a general super- 
vision over the funds and affairs of the Society, 
and at any time may restrain any appropriation 
of money ordered by the Society, which, in its 
judgment, is not warranted, or is forbidden by 
Article nineteen, of this Constitution. It shall 
make annually, on the third Wednesday in Jan- 
uary, a detailed report to the Society, of its tran- 
sactions for the preceding year, with such recom- 
mendations for the development of the Society 
as seem to be best. 

ARTICLE XVI. 

All officers shall continue in office until their 
successors are elected. Any vacancies in office 
may be filled for the unexpired tei-m, at any reg- 
ular meeting of the Society. 

ARTICLE XVII. 

Regular meetings of the Society shall be held 
monthly, on the third Wednesday of each month. 
The President, or either of the Vice-Presidents, in 
his absence, may direct the call of a special meet- 
ing at any time. 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 13 

ARTICLE XVIII. 

Five members who shall attend any regularly 
called meeting of the Society, shall constitute a 
quorum. 

ARTICLE XIX. 

No debt shall be incurred in the name of the 
Society, for any purpose whatever, beyond the 
amount of its unappropriated funds in the hands 
of the Treasurer at the time any expenditure may 
be authorized. Nor shall any officer incur any 
obligations in the name of the Society, without 
authority previously conferred by a vote of the 
Society, or by the written order of the Finance 
Committee. 

ARTICLE XX. 

This Constitution may be amended by a two- 
thirds vote of the memljers present, at a regular 
meeting of the Society, provided notice of the pro- 
posed amendment is given at the previous regular 
meeting. 



14 MADISON COUNTY 

BY-LAWS. 

I. The regular meeting of this Society shall be 
held at the rooms of the Society, at 8 o'clock, p. 
M., unless a different hour shall be designated at 
the previous meeting. 

II. Special meetings may be called at any such 
time and place as the President, or either of the 
Vice-Presidents, in the absence of the President, 
may designate. 

The Recording Secretary shall give notice 
through the Press, or otherwise, of both regular 
and special meetings of the Society. 

III. Any meeting may be adjourned to such 
time as a majority of the members present shall 
determine. 

IV. The annual meeting of the Society shall 
be held on the third Wednesday of January, in 
each year. 

The election of officers shall then take 
place, and the annual reports of the officers of the 
previous year shall be received, and if approved, 
adopted. 

V. At the next regular meeting after the 
annual election of officers, or as soon thereafter 
as may be convenient, the President shall appoint 
from the active members of the Society, the fol- 
lowing standing committees, to consist of three 
members each, viz : 

1. A Committee on Finance. 

2. A Committee on Rooms and Property. 

3. A Committee on Addresses and 
Publications. 

4. A Committee on Membership. 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 15 

VI. The President shall be ex-officio chairman 
of the Committee on Finance, constituting one of 
the three forming such committee. It shall be 
the duty of such committee to supervise the 
books, accounts and reports of the Treasurer and 
the financial receipts and expenditures of the 
Society ; it shall also be its duty to consider and 
recommend all suitable measures to increase the 
revenues of the Society, and promote economy in 
its expenditures. It shall examine and report on 
all accounts and claims against the Society and 
upon all propositions for the appropriation and 
expenditures of its funds. It shall also reconi 
mend to the Society a proper investment of 
its funds. 

VII. The Committee on rooms and Property 
shall have the charge and supervision of the rooms 
of the Society and its property ; shall keep the 
same in repair and shall recommend such additions 
from time to time, as the growth of the Society 
shall render necessary. 

It shall have the general charge and super- 
vision of the library, and of all propositions in 
regard to its use, increase and management ; or 
in regard to the procurement, exchange, or other 
disposition of books, periodicals and pamphlets, 
or their binding and preservation. It shall super- 
vise the cataloguing of the collections of the So- 
ciety, and shall take such steps, from time to 
time, as may be necessary to secure a proper ac- 
countability for said collections and library. 

It shall have supervision of the solicitation 
and transportation of donations for the collections 
of the Society ; shall make such recommendations 
to the Society in regard to the procuring of his- 
torical materials, by purchase or otherwise, as 
shall seem to it desirable. 



IG MADISON COUNTY 

VIII. The Committee on Addresses and Pub- 
lications shall arrange for the delivery of papers 
and addresses on historical topics and investiga- 
tions connected with the objects of the Society, to 
be read at the regular meetings and shall recom- 
mend, from time to time, an orator to address the 
Society. 

'^It shall have charge of preparing and 
supervising all the publications of the Society, 
in order that the same may be pi-operly and cor- 
rectly printed whenever directed by the Society. 

It shall also recommend for publication by 
the Society such material as it may deem advisable. 

IX. The Committee on Membership shall in- 
quire into the qualifications of candidates pro- 
posed for members and promptly report thereon 
to the Society ; and it shall be its duty to labor to 
increase the membership by inducing all proper 
persons to become members. 

X. All reports of the Standing Committees 
shall be made to the Society in writing and placed 
upon file ; but the Committees may report by 
resolution if they shall deem it expedient. 

XI. All books, manuscripts and other articles 
belonging to the Society shall be plainly marked 
with the name of the Society and with the name 
of the donor. 

They shall be numbered and entered cor- 
respondingly in the catalogue. 

XII. No books, charts, manuscripts, or copies 
thereof, nor any other article belonging to the 
library, or cabinet of the Society, shall be taken 
from its room without the written permission of 
the Librarian, who shall take and file a receipt 
for the same. 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 17 

XIII. No books, or other articles placed on 
deposit with the Society, shall be removed from 
the library except on the written consent of the 
owner. 

XIV. The printed books in the library of the 
Society shall be accessible to all members, whether 
resident, life, honorary or corresponding, and its 
manuscript collections at the discretion of the 
Librarian. 

To visitors, who are not members, access to 
the manuscript collections of the Society can be 
had only by the consent of the librarian, or a 
member of the committee on the library. 

XV. Any member of this Society may be ex- 
pelled by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all 
the members present at a regular meeting, but no 
such vote shall be taken unless notice of the mo- 
tion to expel shall have been given at the pre- 
vious regular meeting. 

XVI. Any of the By-Laws may be suspended 
in case of a temporary emergency, by the unani- 
mous vote of a meeting duly organized. 

They may be amended, from time to time, by 
a majority vote of the members present at a regular 
meeting, provided notice of the proposed amend- 
ment has been given at the previous regular meet- 
ing. 

XVII. At the regular meetings of the Society 
the following shall be the order of business : 

1. Reading of the minutes of the previous 

meeting. 

2. Acknowledgment of donations to the 

Society. 



18 



3. Reports and communications from the 

officers of the Society. 

4. Reports from the Standing Committees. 

5. Reports from Special Committees. 

6. Election of members. 

7. Miscellaneous business, 

8. Reading of papers and delivering of 

addresses. 



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